Paris, France | AFP | Dozens of scientists have raised concerns over a large-scale study of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine published in the Lancet that led to the World Health Organization suspending clinical trials of the anti-viral drugs as a potential treatment for COVID-19. Hydroxychloroquine, normally used to treat arthritis, has become …
Read More »First batch of hydroxychloroquine by Cipla-Quality chemicals expected this week
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Local pharmaceutical Company Cipla Quality Chemicals Industries (CiplaQC) will this weekend produce its first quantities of malaria drug hydroxychloroquine which has also been used in the treatment of people with coronavirus. The company executive director Nevin J. Bradford told URN that they received raw …
Read More »Do not prescribe hydroxychloroquine for COVID: France
Paris, France | AFP | The French government said Wednesday that doctors should no longer prescribe hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 patients, an unproven and potentially harmful treatment for the disease nonetheless promoted by US President Donald Trump. The move came after two French advisory bodies and the World Health Organization (WHO) warned …
Read More »Uganda records good results treating COVID with hydroxychloroquine, chloroquine
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Ministry of Health says it has had good results using hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine in managing COVID-19 patients despite findings that the drugs have no effect on treating the disease. Uganda has used the two drugs in combination with azithromycin to manage its COVID-19 patients …
Read More »Study finds hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine ineffective for COVID treatment
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A new study has found that the two drug regimens; Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, that have been widely used in the treatment of COVID-19 are ineffective. The drugs instead lowered the chances of survival for those who used them, according to a reported published in the …
Read More »Hydroxychloroquine shows no virus benefit, raises death risk: study
Paris, France | AFP | A study of nearly 100,000 coronavirus patients has shown no benefit in treating them with anti-viral drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine and even increased the likelihood of them dying in hospital. Hydroxychloroquine is normally used to treat arthritis but pronouncement from public figures including US President Donald …
Read More »Virus pushes science and its controversies centre stage
Paris, France | AFP | Hydroxychloroquine, double-blind studies, convalescent plasma, herd immunity — the coronavirus pandemic has thrust the language of science into public view as never before. Having escaped the confines of the laboratory, these and other once-obscure terms are fast becoming part of household parlance. But familiarity with the …
Read More »Huge European rescue plans, vaccine hopes fuel virus optimism
Washington, United States | AFP | A half-trillion-euro European fund laid out by France and Germany sparked optimism Monday about fighting economic fallout from the coronavirus, as did encouraging early results on vaccine research by a US biotech firm. Global markets surged as Europe pushed towards normality with major landmarks reopening …
Read More »Hydroxychloroquine fails in largest COVID-19 drugs
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial drug that has been touted as a game changer in treatment of Corona Virus Disease COVID-19 has failed in another trial, the biggest so far to be conducted globally. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, scientists led by a …
Read More »‘Serious side effects’ from Trump-backed virus drugs: EU agency
The Hague, Netherlands | AFP | The European Medicines Agency on Thursday added its voice to growing concern about an anti-malarial drug widely touted as a potential cure for the COVID-19 disease, warning about fatal side effects. Beneficial effects of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, which count US President Donald Trump as a major backer, have “not …
Read More »